Integrating Formal and Relational Contracting: The Link Between Network Structure and Contract Design in Interlocal Collaboration Agreements

• 成果类型: Article; Early Access
• 署名作者: Gutierrez-Meave, Raul; Zhang, Shuwen; Carr, Jered B.; Siciliano, Michael D.
• 署名单位: University of Illinois System; University of Illinois Chicago; University of Illinois Chicago Hospital; Centro de Investigacion y Docencia Economicas A.C. (CIDE)
• 刊物名称: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0033-3298
• DOI: 10.1111/padm.13050
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: incomplete contracts; transaction costs; social-structure; COOPERATION; governance; performance; Embeddedness; COMPETITION; trust; TIES

摘要

Local governments increasingly rely on contractual relationships with third parties for public service delivery, blending formal agreements with relational mechanisms to reduce risks and uncertainties. While most research on these contracts has focused on relationships between two parties, this work adopts a network perspective to analyze how the structure of these networks-especially close-knit connections-influences contract design. We analyzed 6576 agreements between local governments in Iowa related to public safety from 2007 to 2017 and selected 300 to qualitatively code for contractual provisions. Our findings show that when there are strong shared connections between third parties, contracts tend to be less formal. These results expand the typical focus on two-party relationships, showing how larger networks can shape the balance between formal and relational contracts in public service management. Los gobiernos locales dependen cada vez m & aacute;s de relaciones contractuales con terceros para la prestaci & oacute;n de servicios p & uacute;blicos, combinando acuerdos formales con mecanismos relacionales que buscan mitigar riesgos e incertidumbre. Mientras que la mayor & iacute;a de los estudios sobre contratos se enfoca en relaciones bilaterales, este trabajo adopta un enfoque de redes para analizar c & oacute;mo la estructura de estas, especialmente en contextos con altos niveles de capital social, influye en el dise & ntilde;o contractual. Para ello, se examinaron 6576 acuerdos intergubernamentales relacionados con la seguridad p & uacute;blica en Iowa entre 2007 y 2017, seleccionando 300 de ellos para un an & aacute;lisis cualitativo de sus disposiciones contractuales. Los resultados muestran que, en estructuras relacionales con mayores niveles de capital social, los contratos tienden a ser menos formales. Este hallazgo ampl & iacute;a el an & aacute;lisis tradicional de relaciones bipartitas, demostrando c & oacute;mo la estructura de la red moldea el equilibrio entre mecanismos formales y relacionales en la gesti & oacute;n de servicios p & uacute;blicos.